The File
by Macx
Summary: set in the Fire&Ice universe; Michael receives a mysterious email with a file attached. A file about Nicholas MacKenzie andhis 'job' before they met....


The File

**The File**   
by Birgit Stäbler

  


The mail had arrived in his inbox throughout the morning hours. Michael was asleep at the time and Kitt had powered down to minimum levels. When he checked his mail after waking up around eleven a.m., Michael frowned. 'Undisclosed Sender', the address told him, followed by a string of numbers and letters he couldn't make sense of. Except for this little mail, all the others were everyday junk mail and official stuff. He hit the 'Delete' key several times, stored what was important in his folders, and then went over the rest. There was a private message from Bonnie, a forwarded email from a friend containing some jokes, but nothing spectacular. Opening the mystery mail, his frown deepened. There was no subject and the header was a blank. 

_Mr. Knight, it was nice to make your acquaintance a few months back. Allow me to congratulate you on a job well done. I'm usually considered a generous man, so I have decided to let you have a look at something that might give you a clue as to who you are really working with. Nick may tell you the truth about himself when he feels like it, but it is his truth. It can be warped and twisted, though never a lie._   
_Do you trust him, Mr. Knight?_   
_If so, you might want to reconsider after this._

Michael felt something cold settle in his stomach. There was no signature, but he had a pretty good idea where this might have originated.   
"Kitt?" His mouth felt strangely dry.   
"Yes, Michael?"   
"Access the inbox. Can you tell me where the undisclosed sender mail came from?"   
There was a moment of silence. "Not in a hurry, Michael. I would have to backtrack its course through the net."   
"Do it."   
"Michael?"   
"Yes?"   
"Have you opened the file yet?"   
He licked his lips, a jittery feeling racing through him. "No."   
"Will you?"   
Michael tightened his lips into a thin line. "I guess so." With that he clicked on the icon and watched the new window unfold.   
The file was written in a simply pdf format. It looked like a company presentation file, except for the little header on the second page – the first one being completely blank – that told Michael that this was actually a classified file. Top Secret. Eyes Only.   
_CODE Name: Ghost_   
_SUBJECT NAME: UNKNOWN_   
_GOVERNMENT I.D.: UNKNOWN_   
_CURRENT MILITARY: NONE_   
_SOCIAL SECURITY #: NONE_   
_FIRE ARMS REGISTRATION: NONE_   
_I.R.S. CURRENT: NOT AVAILABLE_   
He scrolled down and his eyes came to rest on a familiar name.   
Nicholas MacKenzie. It was listed under 'alias'. The feeling in his stomach intensified. There was no real name listed, no date of birth or address. There was actually no real information.   
A thin smile spread over his lips. Fits somehow. It described who his friend was. The smile vanished when he saw the next page. It was a list of dates, places, names of people, and the brief addition that the mission had been accomplished. He scrolled over the next five pages. It was like reading a death list. Michael couldn't call it anything but that. He knew what it was. Nick's jobs. Everything he had done, from simple espionage, breaking and entering, hacking, to the assassinations. His eyes rested on the names. Men and women. There were bombings, shootings, poisoning even.   
Michael leaned back, unable to tear his gaze away from the facts. He had known it all, but to have it spread out in front of him, each and every death presented on a silver platter, it shocked him. Nick wasn't an innocent and he knew he had killed, working as a government agent and later freelance. Still, it hurt somehow.   
//Michael?// Kitt's soft voice penetrated the haze in his mind.   
//Yes?// he managed.   
//We knew//   
Of course they had. Never in detail though.   
//It doesn't change who he is// the AI added.   
No, it didn't. Nick was their friend and ally, someone who would do everything for them.   
Michael's eyes fixed on the numbers and names once more. The numbers were bad enough, but the names made it nearly unbearable. Names without faces. He didn't know anyone on this list, but all of them had died because of something, because of someone.   
A casualty list.   
Victims.   
Had Nick known them or had they been faceless targets? Michael closed his eyes and turned away from the screen. Why had Nash sent the file? Why? He rose abruptly and paced the confines of the computer center corner of the warehouse.   
//Michael// Kitt chided softly. //We knew. Why should it change things//   
//Yes, we knew, but this is more than knowing! This is confirmation. He killed those people!//   
//Yes, he did that, but it was his job//   
Michael was stunned by Kitt's calm delivery of the answer. //How can you be so… unfeeling?//   
//I'm not// he objected. //I'm simply telling you facts. We knew Nick was a government agent, an assassin. We knew he had killed in the past and has no problem doing it again. The only difference now, and this is the important one, is that back then he was told what to do. He didn't judge, had no morals. I believe he has changed, Michael//   
Michael stopped in front of the large window that showed him another warehouse several feet away from him, across an empty expanse of concrete. He leaned his forehead against the cool glass, trying to sort through his emotions.   
"He sent it to do what it just did," he murmured. "He wants to hurt Nick through me. Using me."   
Kitt sent agreement through the link. If Michael began to doubt his friend, if he lost his trust, Nash would score a little victory. Indirectly and without apparent usefulness right now, but it would hurt his former student. Nash had created Nick; he wanted to destroy him also.   
"What now?" he mumbled.   
"Nothing has changed."   
"What about the file? How can I pretend I don't know of its contents?"   
Kitt was silent for a moment. "Then don't," he answered softly.   
Michael straightened, surprise coursing through him. "You want me to tell Nick?" he exclaimed.   
"Why not?" //It's better than hiding// Kitt added through the implant. //He will find out sooner or later, and you will act according to what you think he did and what he is. Michael, he is our friend!//   
//What if this file was Karr's// Michael asked darkly. //Would you give yourself the same advice?// It was a low blow.   
//In a way it is already. They were partner in the past. Karr is privy to those memories as well//   
Michael ran a hand through his brown hair. Great, just great. There was no real answer for this dilemma. At least one that would help him to ease his apprehension and slight fear.   
Confront Nick. It was the only thing he could do. Confront his friend and sit through the reaction. What else was there to do?   


Nick returned two agonizingly long days after the email had arrived. Another one had been in his box this morning. It hadn't helped settle his nerves. Michael had spent forty-eight hours thinking and going over the theoretical outcome of the upcoming conversation a thousand times. Nick and Karr had been on an undercover assignment that had stretched for three months. The case had been successfully closed two days ago and Nick had spent the remaining time wrapping up some lose ends. As Karr pulled up into the warehouse, Michael pushed away from the railing, chewing his lower lip.   
//You are too tense// Kitt sighed, trying to calm his partner.   
//Am not!// he muttered and started to pace. He caught himself and grimaced.   
Nick walked up the stairs, looking a bit tired, but generally pleased about a job well done. The moment his eyes fell on Michael, his expression changed from somewhat relaxed o extremely guarded and apprehensive.   
"What happened?" he asked without a greeting.   
"I received a mail from a mutual….. enemy."   
Nick's face remained passive, but his eyes grew colder. "Who?"   
Michael sighed deeply. He walked over to the computer and opened the folder he had stored both mails under, then stepped away. Nick walked closer to read the mail. His face remained passive as he read the first one, taking in the taunting words and the challenge. He then looked at the second one. 

_Can you still trust him to guard your back? He might run a dagger through it if offered enough. Think about it, Mr. Knight. He will take you out the moment you are no longer useful. Trust me. You read the file. You know._

Nick showed no outward sign of an emotional reaction. His eyes were cold, blue chips, diamond hard and unreadable. No muscle twitched. He clicked the file open and Michael thought he saw something flicker in those icy eyes. There was a definite reaction in form of a tightening of the lips as he scrolled down the list. Finally Nick straightened and turned to look at Michael. He said nothing, but Michael knew the question.   
"This changes nothing," he said calmly.   
"It already has," Nick told him. "You read it, you formed an opinion, you had suspicions confirmed. You changed."   
"It might not even be real," Michael argued. "I wouldn't know!"   
"It is real. It's even very much complete." Disgust swung in the controlled voice. "I did those jobs. You can stop doubting."   
"Nick….."   
A cold glare stopped him. "He succeeded already."   
"I still trust you!" Michael argued.   
"Are you sure?" Nick countered.   
"Yes," he answered without hesitation. "We've been working together for over two years now. I know I can trust you with my life."   
A humorless smile etched itself on Nick's lips. "This file spans most of my teenage and adult life, Michael. It tells you what I am. I doubt you can still feel safe."   
Michael mirrored the smile. "I knew you were cold bastard before this arrived. I knew you could kill without a problem. I also know you saved my life and Kitt's more often than I can count. I guess that enables me to place my trust in you."   
"I could be bought into betraying that trust."   
He laughed. "Right. Good one, Nick. If you sell us to anyone, you will sell yourself as well."   
Michael watched as the argument hit dead center.   
"You think my conscience won't allow me to sell myself as well?" he asked softly.   
Michael nodded.   
"It would require me having one first." There was a glint in Nick's eyes.   
He rolled his eyes. "Nash is already succeeding in his little game!" he then told his friend forcefully. "You are retreating and I'm starting to doubt your loyalty! Shit, I thought we were past that!"   
"I never noticed we ever approached it."   
"Nick, I trust you with my life. Isn't that enough? Whatever Nash intends to do, I don't believe his little lies."   
"The file isn't a lie, Michael. It is fact."   
"It's your past."   
"None too recent either."   
Michael was close to slamming the younger man against the wall and beat some reason into him. He had no illusions about what would happen the moment he tried that. Nick was currently hitting him over the head with facts, trying to drive him away. Exactly what Nash had intended. He would have none of it.   
"And in the future more will most likely follow!" he snapped. "So cut the crap and delete the mails. I won't have this creep between our friendship!"   
Nick gave him an unreadable look, then a slow smile spread over his lips. He clicked the Delete button and the mails were removed. Michael nodded.   
"Good. That's that. Hungry?"   
Nick almost chuckled. "Ravenous."   
"There's still Chinese in the freezer."   
"Sounds good."   
Michael opened the freezer and expertly juggled the burning cold containers over to the microwave. Nick grabbed a Diet Coke and leaned against the counter, watching the food sit in the small microwave oven, defrosting. Michael in turn watched his friend. As Nick raised his eyes, he smiled as he discovered his friend's silent vigil.   
"Thank you."   
Michael frowned. "For what?"   
"For having enough doubt in you to believe."   
He went over that sentence a few times, then shrugged. "I judge my friends by their actions, not their files. There are things we like to keep hidden and I respect that."   
Nick gave a snort of near-laughter. Michael was well-known for trying to pry details about his past life out of him. Michael glared at him.   
"Anyway, I met Nash and I know you. I hate the guy's guts and he can't ever make me believe in anything he tells me. I placed my trust in you, Nick MacKenzie, and it has been confirmed time and again."   
A slow smile spread over Nick's features, touching his mouth as well as his eyes. He silently sipped at his Coke and Michael simply grinned.   



End file.
